Incomic books and other stories with a long history,first appearance refers to the first issue to feature a fictionalcharacter. These issues are often highly valued by collectors due to their rarity and iconic status.
Collectors value first appearances for their rarity and historical value, while many regular readers are interested in viewing how their favorite characters were originally portrayed. Reprints of first appearances are often published, both as single comic books and intrade paperbacks, usually with other early appearances of the character.Marvel Comics' "Essential" line has become popular by giving readers an affordable glimpse into characters' early history.[1]
Historically, first appearances tell theorigin story for the character, although some, such asBatman andGreen Goblin, remained dubious figures for several issues.Modern writers prefer to tell a character's origin across an entire story arc or keep a newly introduced character mysterious until a "secret origin" issue. Some fans consider this agimmick and prefer the older method.[2]
The artistic merit of many first appearances is debatable. The events portrayed in most famous first appearances are continuouslyretconed,rebooted, or expanded upon by subsequent writers. Like manygolden andsilver age comics, first appearances often become dated and do not fit the modern portrayal of the character.
However, some first appearances are considered classics. 1990s-eraSpider-Man writerHoward Mackie said that his favorite story featuring the character was his first appearance and origin story inAmazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962), stating that writerStan Lee and artistSteve Ditko "gave us everything we needed, I wanted or could ask for in the least possible space. Every single person who retells the origin never improves on the original, they simply expand it."[3]
First appearances of popular characters are among the most valuable comic books in existence. Of the "ten most valuable comic books" listed in the spring 2002 issue ofThe Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, seven are first appearances of popularsuperheroes.[4] Another,Marvel Comics #1 (October 1939), is the first appearance of theGolden Age Human Torch, but is more noteworthy as the first comic published byMarvel Comics.
It can take many years for a character to attain sufficient popularity after their first appearance to be considered "iconic." By the point a character reaches that level of popularity, it is common for few copies of their first appearance issues to remain. Furthermore, even fewer of those remaining copies will be in the pristine condition prized by collectors. What few remain can be worth thousands of dollars to interested collectors. For example, in 2004, a copy ofFlash Comics #1 (January 1940), the first appearance ofThe Flash, wasauctioned for $42,000[5] and a copy ofCaptain America Comics #1 (March 1941), the first appearance ofCaptain America sold for $64,400.[6] In 2010, another copy ofFlash Comics #1 sold privately for $450,000.[7]
The first appearance ofSuperman,Action Comics #1 (June 1938), has been regarded as the "holy grail" of comic books due to its cultural significance and rarity; fewer than one hundred copies are thought to exist.[8] Superman is widely considered to have solidified, if not created, the superhero archetype; therefore, his first appearance is not only important to fans of the character but to fans of superheroes and comic books as a whole.[9] Well-preserved copies ofActionComics #1 have been sold at auction for record-breaking prices. A copy graded at 8.0 ("very fine") on the 10-point scale typically used by collectors was sold at auction for $1,000,000 in 2010.[10] Even a copy graded at a much lower 5.5 ("fine minus") sold for $956,000 in 2016.[8]
Shortly after the record-breaking million-dollar sale ofAction Comics #1 in 2010, a copy ofDetective Comics #27 featuring the first appearance ofBatman was sold for $1,075,000 in aHeritage auction.[11]
The importance of the character(s) that debuted; the first appearance ofSpider-Man in fine condition is listed at $45,150; the first appearance of the similarly popularIron Man, in the same condition, is listed at $3,837; and the first appearances of most characters are not valued significantly higher than other comics published the same month.
The rarity of comic book itself; comics from the Golden Age are usually more valuable than later comic books because they are older and fewer copies survive.Spider-Man is more popular thanThe Spectre but Spider-Man's 1962 first appearance is valued at $45,150 while a copy of The Spectre's 1940 debut, in fine condition, is valued at $54,000. Also, first appearances often lack value if they are relatively recent issues of high-profile, best-selling titles. Except during a 1990scollector's bubble, the first appearances of severalImage Comics characters and newerX-Men have not been as valuable as one may expect for such popular characters because those comics were widely produced.
Other reasons for historical importance;The Fantastic Four (November 1961) #1 is not only the first appearance of theeponymous group but also represents a turning point in the history ofMarvel Comics and is the first issue of a long-running series.
Occasionally, a comic book is the first appearance of more than one important character. Usually the characters are related;X-Men #1 (September 1963) introduced theX-Men and their archenemyMagneto.[12] However, rarely a comic book is the first appearance of two unrelated, important characters.More Fun Comics #73 (November 1941) introduced bothGreen Arrow andAquaman, who have little relation to one another.[13] This is also the case withAction Comics #1, which contained the first appearances ofZatara andTex Thompson, as well as Superman.
Occasionally a first appearance will lack the value expected for a character of such stature because the debut was not splashy.Wonder Woman, a popular and historically important hero, debuted in the anthology titleAll Star Comics #8 (December 1941), and was not featured on the cover. This issue is valued at $30,000 in fine condition. Comparatively, the first appearances of equally (or even less) important peersGreen Lantern andThe Flash, boldly introduced on their covers, are worth $131,250 and $69,000, respectively. Arguably, the first appearance of Wonder Woman is worth much less because she did not make a flashy debut that lent the comic book an air of history.
As is the case with all collectibles, condition greatly affects the value of comic books, although considerable wear is expected for decades-old comics. Most comic books are worth more if their condition is certified and they are protectively packaged (or "slabbed") by the Certified Collectibles Group, a professional grading service involved in the sale of most high-value comic books, although some fans accuse the group of inflating the value of comics.[14]
While seemingly a simple concept, determining the first appearance may be complex. The following are instances in which a character's first appearance may be difficult to determine:
Those unfamiliar to comics may assume thatIron Man's first appearance isThe Invincible Iron Man #1 (May 1968). However, in thegolden and earlysilver ages of comic books, few superheroes debuted in magazines carrying their names. More often a character first appeared in a generically titledanthology series. If the character proved popular, a new series was launched. For example, Iron Man first appeared inTales of Suspense #39 (March 1963) and appeared regularly in that series for five years before Marvel launched a series properly namedIron Man.Wonder Woman,Spider-Man,Thor, and many others also first appeared in anthology series.
The first appearance of "all-star" teams is given as the first instance in which that team banded together regardless of whether or not it consists of previously existing characters. The first appearance of TheJustice League of America is consideredThe Brave and the Bold #28 (May 1960), the issue in which they first operated as a group, although none of its members first appeared in that issue. Alternatively,X-Men #1 (September 1963) is both the first appearance of theX-Men and its original members.
Sometimes a character first appears in the last page of an issue,foreshadowing his or her greater role in the next issue. Arguments can ensue over whether the first appearance is the issue containing the final pagecameo or the subsequent issue which more adequately introduced the character.Wolverine was first seen in the last page ofThe Incredible Hulk #180 (October 1974) but makes a more full appearance in issue #181 (November 1974). Stricter fans may considerThe Incredible Hulk #180 Wolverine's first appearance but most consider it #181. ComicsPriceGuide.com lists a copy of issue #180, rated very fine, at $149 and #181 at $2,075. Comparatively,The Incredible Hulk #179 (September 1974), which has no special importance, is listed at $11, so both types of first appearance add value to a comic book.
Retconning can also complicate first appearances. Initially,Cable was portrayed as a wholly new character, first appearing inTheNew Mutants #87 (March 1990). However, writers later changed his background, stating that Cable is an adult,time-traveling Nathan Summers, the son ofCyclops andMadelyne Pryor, first seen inUncanny X-Men #201 (January 1986). Both issues could be given as the first appearance of Cable. Further complicating the matter, Cable was seen in a cameo at the end ofThe New Mutants #86 (February 1990).
Some superhero identities are used by more than one character. Theoriginal Green Lantern first appeared inAll-American Comics #16 (April 1940). During the Silver Age,Green Lantern, like manyDC heroes, wasrebooted with a totally new identity. The second Green Lantern,Hal Jordan, debuted inShowcase #22 (October 1959).All-American Comics #16 is still considered the first appearance of Green Lantern, both of the original title-bearer and the superhero identity itself. To avoid confusion,Showcase #22 is called the first appearance of Hal Jordan, of Green Lantern II or of the Silver Age Green Lantern.
Occasionally, a character will appear in the background of a comic book before fully introduced. Spider-Man's early love interestLiz Allan is first addressed by name inAmazing Spider-Man #4 (September 1963). However, an unnamed character inAmazing Spider-Man #1 (March 1963) is, based on her appearance and dialogue, probably Allan. Plus,Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962), shows an unnamed, unspeaking character who looks exactly like Allan. Thus Allan's first appearance may be given as any of the three.
Sometimes new characters are created fortelevision orfilm adaptations of a franchise and are later added to the comic book continuity. TheBatman adversaryHarley Quinn debuted in the 1992Batman: The Animated Series episode "Joker's Favor". Her first appearance incomic format was thegraphic novelThe Batman Adventures #12, which took place in the continuity ofBatman: The Animated Series. Her first appearance in the regular "DC Universe" was the 1999one-shotBatman: Harley Quinn. Thus, her first appearance is technically "Joker's Favor", her first appearance in a comic book wasThe Batman Adventures #12 and her first appearance in the regularDC Comics continuity wasBatman: Harley Quinn. Similarly,Firestar first appeared inSpider-Man and His Amazing Friends #1, which adapted the first episode of the TV series. Her firstEarth-616 appearance was inThe Uncanny X-Men #193.
Rarely, a character debuts in a publisher's foreign branch and then appears in a domestic series.Psylocke first appeared inCaptain Britain #8 (December 1976), an original series ofMarvel UK not widely available outsideGreat Britain. Her debut in anAmerican series wasThe New Mutants Annual #2 (1986). Her first appearance is sometimes given as either but more correctly it isCaptain Britain #8 whileThe New Mutants Annual #2 is her first US appearance.
Some characters appear first in a normal supporting role before becoming a superhero or villain. For example, Roderick Kingsley first appeared as a minor supporting character inThe Spectacular Spider-Man #43 (June 1980). However, he would later take on the villainous role of theHobgoblin inThe Amazing Spider-Man #238 (March 1983), becoming one of Spider-Man's most dangerous foes. The latter issue, featuring his first appearance as the Hobgoblin, is worth quite more than his original debut.
First appearances of popular heroes, villains and teams
^Nicolas Cage's 9.0 gradedAction Comics #1 sold in 2011.
^Batman #1, the first appearance of the Joker and Catwoman, is especially valuable since it is also the first issue of a long-running series and the first comic book to bear Batman's name as its title.
